Passport For A Minor: Submit An Application For One Before You Need It
It is smart to know the regulations surrounding a kid’s passport if you need to apply for one for your child. Even newborns are required to have one when traveling abroad. There are also some special rules for children between 16 and 18 years of age.
Passports for children under 16 must be applied for in person with both parents or guardians present. You must supply proof of American citizenship, which will be returned to you. Acceptable types of proof include a U. S. Or foreign birth certificate, a prior U. S. Passport which is undamaged, or proof of citizenship or naturalization. You must also provide a social security number.
It will be necessary to prove the relationship of the parents or guardians to the minor. Acceptable proof is a birth certificate, either U.S. or foreign, which has both parents’ names, an adoption decree listing the adopting parents, or a court order which establishes guardianship or custody.
If any furnished documents are in another language, they must be translated. It can be formally or informally translated. Both original and English translation must be submitted with the passport application.
You cannot use previously issued passports to prove your relationship with the child. If a name has been changed since the issuing of the original documents, you need to submit proof of that legal change. For example, you can submit a copy of your marriage certificate. Also, current identification must be shown by the parents or guardians, like a driver’s license, an undamaged US Passport, a naturalization certificate, or a military/government ID.
Both parents need to consent for a child below 16 years of age to get a passport. They must appear with the child when making the application. If they are not both able to appear, at least one must go as the form needs to be signed in front of the passport agent. Meanwhile, a Statement of Consent for the other parent must be turned in. This form needs to be notarized within the last three months.
If complete custody is with only one parent, that parent must go with the minor to the passport agency and sign the form before the agent. Proof of sole authority must also be furnished. This can be a birth certificate or consular report of birth abroad, which lists only the one name. Alternative proof may be an adoption decree, a court order, an incompetence declaration, or a death certificate.
A third party can apply for the passport of the minor if necessary. In this case, that person must go to the passport agency with a notarized statement from both parents or guardians. Sole-custody proof must also be presented if there is only one parent or guardian.
In addition to the application itself and the proofs of identification, relationship and custody, you must also provide two passport photos and, of course, the application fee. In the case of minors of age 16 and 17, they should also furnish photo identification. If they have none, then the parents or guardians must present their own photo identification. Whichever photo identification is used, a photocopy should also be provided. As with all USA passport, it is a good idea to apply for a passport for a child before it is really necessary.
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